Hypothermia

HypothermiaCan I just say how refreshing it is to read a translation that is also an excellent interpretation?

Most translations end up reading oddly, they get quite clunky. Victoria Cribb has made the Iceland of Arnaldur Indriðason’s imagination not so distant, because the language flows really naturally.

Hypothermia concerns the suicide of Maria, who was distraught after her mother’s death. Inspector Erlendur decides to look into it a little further, and is minded to re-open a few cold cases of youths who went missing many years before. He is also plagued by memories of his own brother, as well as having to be a father to Sindri and Eva, who are now old enough to make real demands on his emotional life.

This was clearly not the first Erlendur novel; but it doesn’t seem to matter too much. You get that you haven’t read the history behind some of the characters, but it doesn’t stand in the way of the plot nor your enjoyment of it.

Overall, I have to say that of all the Scandi crime novels I’ve read in the last few years, this has certainly come out on top. I look forward to finding more novels by Indriðason on the library shelves. And hogging them for a little while.